The Indian digital payment landscape is about to get a new player. Apple Pay is reportedly preparing to launch in India, potentially disrupting the dominance of existing platforms like Google Pay and PhonePe. The introduction of Apple’s ‘Tap to Pay’ feature could offer a seamless payment experience for iOS users.
## Background
Samsung Pay entered the Indian market in 2017. This showed that there was already interest in contactless payment systems beyond QR codes, even though the necessary infrastructure was not fully developed at the time. This sets the scene for Apple Pay’s arrival.
## India’s UPI Market
While the exact launch date of Apple Pay is still unconfirmed, its arrival coincides with a massive expansion of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI). UPI transactions surpassed ₹10 lakh crore in May 2024. PhonePe and Google Pay currently lead this market.
## Tap to Pay Explained
‘Tap to Pay’ will allow users to make payments by simply tapping their Apple devices on compatible payment terminals. This Near Field Communication (NFC) technology offers a quick and secure alternative to traditional payment methods. It is expected to be a big convenience for Apple users in India.
